Folding bed



(No Model.)

W. S. NEVINS.

FOLDING. BED.

No. 482,266. g Patented Sept. 6, 189

WITNESSES:-

INVENTOH ATTORNEYS:

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UNHED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

wrLLrAivr's. NEVINS, OF TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA} FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,266, datedSeptember 6, 1892. Application filed December 19, 1891. Serial No.415,601. (No model.)-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. NEVINS, of Terre Haute, in the county ofVigo and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement inFolding Beds, of which the ifollowing" is a full, clear, and exactdescripion.

My invention relates to an improvement in folding beds, and has for itsobject to provide a bed'of simple, durable, and economic construction,and to provide a means whereby the bed may be manipulated with easewithout the use of weights.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in both the vlews.

Figure l is a sectional side elevation with the bed swung down, and Fig.2 is a similar view with the bed swung up.

The bed consists of two main portions, the casing A and the bedprope'rB. The casing comprises a back 10, sides 11, and an inclosed base12, and the base at its ends is made to simulate lockers, as illustratedbest at A in Figs. 1 and 2. The bed B is somewhat box-shaped, as isusual with most folding beds, and is not broken at any point throughoutits length, being adapted to fold up and let down readily. The bed nearits rear end is pivoted within the casing A just above the base portionthereof.

Upon the outer face of the bed, back of its pivotal point, a series ofhooks 18 or the equivalents thereof are located. These hooks arepreferably arranged in vertical series, as-

is shown in Fig. 2, each vertical series comprising a number of hooks.Springs 19, corresponding in number to the series of hooks, areemployed, the said springs being attached at one end to the forward wallof the base eX- tensions A, and the opposite ends of the springs areconnected to the h0oks18, the tension of the springs being increased ordecreased by securing them to eitherthe upper or lower hooks of a set.These springs are adapted to act to close the bed instead of weights,and as an additional factor in closing the bed a lever 20 is pivoted inthe base portion of the casing, the pivotal point of the lever being atits lower end. One of these levers is located at each side of thecasing, and the upper or free ends of the levers are in constantengagement with friction-rollers 21, located onthe sides of the bed neartheir rear ends back of their pivotal points. The levers are held inconstant and positive engagement with the friction-rollers through themedium of springs 22. These springs are secured to the flooring of thebase portion of the casing at one end,the other end being adjustablyattached to the levers, the adjustment being effected by providing thelovers with a number of hooks 23 to receive the springs or with theequivalents of the hooks. The object of rendering the springs adgustableupon the levers is to increase or decrease the tension they shall exertthereon.

The legs D, which are adapted to support the foot of the bed when it isin position for use, are adapted to constitute ornamental portions ofthe bed proper. These legs may be attached to the bed in many ways, andare adapted to be automatically opened when the bed is lowered andautomatically closed when the bed is raised. In the form of legs shownthe legs are pivoted to the bed-body at their upper ends and their backsare fiat, so that they can lie snugly against the body when folded up.When the bed is lowered, the legs are automatically closed by attachingto them one end of a rope or cable 25, or a small chain, which iscarried upward through an opening in the bed-body overa suitable roller26,thence through a concealed channel formed in the bed-body, as shownin Fig. 1, and then to the base, the opposite end of the cable or chainbeing secured to the backof the casing. The length of this chain orcable is such that when the bed is in its lower position it is slack;but the moment that the bed is ele vated itcommences to tighten upon thelegs, and when the bed has assumed its closed position the cables orchains will have become so tightened as to have drawn the legs intoengagement with the body of the bed and will maintain them in thatposition. Thus ICO as the bed is lowered the legs will swing outward andgradually assume a position at a right angle to the body of the bed. Asthe bed-body is carried upward to the closed position the legs graduallygravitate inward, and when they engage with the bed-body are maintainedin that position by the links folding up in the recess,'and also by theweight of the attached rod 29, as at that time all the weight of the rodwill be exerted upon the links and through the links directly upon theleg with which it is connected.

When the bed is in its lower position, it is advisable and desirablethat it should be locked in such position in order to prevent anypossibility of the springs 19 and 22 acting to lift the foot portion ofthe bed. To that end at or about the center of the casing a keeper 32 islocated, and at the inner or head end of the bed a spring-latch 33 islocated, which engages with this keeper and rests thereon when the bedis horizontally located, as shown in Fig. 1. At this time the headportion of the bed cannot be drawn downward no matter what tension isexerted upon the under face of the bed at that end. Before the bed canbe elevated, therefore, the latch 33 must be disengaged from the keeper.This is accomplished by attaching to the latch a rope, cable, or chain34 and leading the same along the bottom of the bed out through thefoot-board,which is the top portion of the bed when folded, andterminating the rope, cable, or chain in a knot or loop 35 or theequivalent thereof to enable the operator to operate the cable or chain.

After the bed is folded up it is also desirable that a latch should beprovided to hold it in that position. Therefore at one or both sides ofthe casing a spring-latch 36 is located, each latch being secured at oneend and free at the other. The keepers for these latches are handles 37,which are attached to the sides of the bed in order to facilitatecarrying them upward, and when the bed assumes its vertical position thelatches engage with these handles and a locking connection is effectedbetween the casing and the bed.

On the front of the bed is mounted aswinging drawer 39.

In the back of the bed-casin g shelves 41 are located, upon whichpillows or surplus bedding may be placed if in practice it is founddesirable. These shelves are best illustrated in Fig. 1.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the casing and thevertically-swinging bed having side projections in rear of its pivots,of levers hinged at their rear ends to the casing and crossing the saidprojections, a series of hooks on each lever, and a spring for eachseries of hooks, detachably connected therewith at one end and at theother end secured to the casing, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding bed,the combination, with a casing and a bed pivoted insaid casing, of springs connected with the casing at its base, and alsoconnected with the head portion of the bed, and spring-pressed leversfulcrumed in the base of the casing, said levers having bearings uponextensions at the sides of the bed, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with a casing and a bed pivoted therein, of springssecured atone end in the base portion of the casing and adjustablyattached to the under portion of the bed at the head, projections formedat the sides of the bed, at the head, back of the pivot of the bed,levers fulcrumed in the rear of the base and having constant bearingupon the projections of the bed, and springs secured to the base of thecasing and adjustably connected with the levers, as and for the pn rposespecified.

4:. In a folding bed, the combination, with a casing, a bed pivotedtherein and removable therefrom, springs attached to the base of thecasing and to the head portion of the bed back of its pivot, andspring-pressed levers fulcrumed in the base and having constant bearingupon projectionsformed at the sides of the bed, of a latch carried bythe bed and adapted for engagement with a keeper on the casing, a tripdevice connected with the latch, handles secured to the sides of thebed, latches attached to the sides of the casing and adapted forengagement with the handles, all combined to operate substantially asand for the.

purpose set forth.

WILLIAM S. NEVINS. Witnesses:

EMIL Mvnns, CHAS. R. RIGNER.

